Air modulating means for air conditioning apparatus



Dec. 12, 1957 T. L. DAY 3,357,483

AIR AODULATING MEANS FOR AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

af er A T. L. DAY 3,357,483

AIR MODULATING MEANS FOR AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Dec, 12, E96? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27, 1965 Thomas I United States Patent 3,357,483 AIR MODULATING MEANS FOR AIR CONDITION- ING APPARATUS Thomas L. Day, Brookfield, Conn., assignor to Connor Engineering Corporation, Danbury, Conm, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 451,252

7 4 Claims. (Cl. 16539) This invention relates to air modulating means for air conditioning apparatus, and it has for one of its objects to provide a means for the eflective control of an air flow of desired temperature.

It is an object of the invention to provide a valve arrangement for the regulation of an air flow and by means of which the volume of air passing into a room or other enclosure can be regulated from a minimum flow to a maximum flow by the results secured from a plurality of dampers used in connection with a valve, and by which the heat load in each small zone can be independently controlled with rapid temperature-controlling results from a single source of air supplied at constant temperature.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a plenum having at least one passage in it, which passage has a plurality'of inlet openings leading from a source of cool air flow, with a thermostatically controlled valve disposed in the passage and effective to partially or completely close the passage, one of the inlets being between the source of air flow and the valve and the other inlet being located after the valve whereby the valve is effective to control the flow of air into the passage through only one of the inlets, the other opening being unaflected by the valve; with dampers for regulating the effective sizes of the inlet openings, and if desired, heating means disposed in the passage beyond the inlet opening which is not controlled by the valve.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional View of a structure constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a similar sectional view of the inner casing or plenum and its contents.

Referring to the drawings, there is therein shown an outer housing 40 which may be generally of square or rectangular shape and suitably mounted in a floor 43 (FIG. 1) or wall, or other portion of a building as required for air conditioning purposes. The housing 40 and the air inlet 41 may be wholly or partly insulated as shown at 42. An air flow passes through the air inlet 41 from a pump and cooling means or other source to reach the interior of the housing and flow therefrom to the controlling means to be described. The housing means thus constitutes an air plenum.

Located within the housing 40 is an inner casing or plenum 1, which has a passage within it, the same being divided into two passage sections indicated respectively at 2 and 3, by means of a vertical partition 4. The passage section 2 is lined with suitable acoustic insulation shown at 5 and 6.

Mounted in the passage 2 is a micro-switch 7 provided with a mounting cover 7a and suitably connected to a source of current. Said switch 7 is connected by the cable 8 to an electric heater 9 located in the lower end of the passage 2 and in the lower portion of a cross channel that connects the two passage sections 2 and 3. When the switch 7 is closed by valve action, as will be explained, circuit to the heater is closed and the heater set in operation to temper the air.

Located in the passage section 3 is a valve which is of a type commercially known as a Pneumavalve and is of the type shown and described in Patent No. 3,011,518 dated Dec. 5, 1961. This valve consists of a pair of bowed plates 11 and 12 interfitted at their ends and which ends enter notches 13 and 14 respectively provided in brackets 15 and 16 that are located in the passage section 3 and are secured to the wall 17 of the casing by means of the screws 18.

Mounted on the wall 17 is a plate 19 which is angularly flanged at its opposite ends as indicated at 20 and 21. Confined between the flange 20 and an upper guide flange 22 is a slidably adjustable damper plate 23. Confined between the flange 21 and a flange 24 provided on the wall 17, is a similar slidably-adjustable damper plate 25.

The dampers are adjustable to respectively regulate the air flow through the inlet openings 46 and 47 (FIG. 2) by reducing or increasing the effective sizes of such openings. The adjusting means for the dampers includes a lever 32, for the damper 23, connected to the damper by a bracket 31, and a similar lever 36 for damper 25, connected to the damper 25, by a bracket 35. The lever 32 has an aperture 34 and lever 36 is provided with a similar aperture 37 and a suitable tool inserted downwardly into the casing 1 through a grill aperture 33, can reach and engage with one or the other of the apertures in the levers 32 and 36 as required to move either or both of the dampers.

The switch 7 has a part 30 projecting into the passage 3 and this part 30 is adapted to be contacted by the plate 12 of the Pneumavalve when the plates 11 and 12 of that valve are spread apart or distended to their maximum extent to close the passage 3. The switch 8 is closed when the Pneumavalve is fully distended so that the heater, assuming one is used, will remain in operation whenever the passage 3 is blocked by the distended Pneumavalve.

It will be noted from the arrows in the drawings that air enters the housing 40 through inlet 41 and from the housing the air enters the casing 1 through apertures 46 and 47, passing the dampers 23 and 25, the air passing the upper damper 23 and then flowing downwardly through the passage section 3, and after passing the Pneumavalve, assuming that it is open at the time, the air will then mix with the air flow that has passed the damper 25. If the structure is provided with a heater 9, the air which passes the heater is heated thereby and if the heater is in operation at the time as controlled by the position of the Pneumavalve, and the air then passes upwardly and out of the grill opening 33. The only part of the air that is controlled by the Pneumavalve is that which passes the upper damper 23; that which passes the lower damper 25 being unaffected by the Pneumavalve.

From the foregoing, the operation of the improved air modulating device will be apparent. As described in Patent No. 3,011,518, the plates of the Pneumavalve are pneumatically distended when required to eflect closing of the valve and this movement is controlled by a pneumatic thermostat not shown, but of conventional form. Cold air is supplied through the inlet passage 41 and at the required temperature the thermostat will increase the pneumatic pressure between the plates 11 and 12 and distend them in a manner to close or partly close as required the passage section 3. When the Pneumavalve is fully closed and the passage 3 is thus blocked by it, the minimum air flow passing through aperture 46 controlled by the damper 25 will continue to flow, passing upwardly through the passage section 2 and out of the grill opening 33 into the room or other enclosure. Thus, air volume can be controlled between the maximum flow, as when the Pneumavalve is open and minimum flow when it is closed.

When the Pneumavalve closes, the plate 12 thereof 3 contacts with the switch element 30 and the switch will then close an electric circuit to the heater and tempering heat will then be added to the air flow. The advantage of the above arrangement is thatthe flow in each small zone is independently controlled and much faster results are obtained for unusual conditions.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Air modulating means comprising, a housing into which an air flow is directed, a casing located within the housing, the casing being divided into two passages, the first passage having spaced inlet openings which directly and independently establishes communication between it and the interior of the housing, a valve in said passage between said openings, said valve consisting of distensible plates operative by spreading apart to control air flow in the passage between the inlet openings or to completely close said passage between said openings while blocking the inflow from only one of the inlet openings, adjustable dampers for regulating the effective size of the inlet openings, the second passage being in communication at one end with the first passage, and the second passage being provided at its opposite end with an air outlet.

2. Air modulating means as provided for in claim 1, including heating means disposed in the casing between the passages thereof, and switch means for controlling the operation of the heating means, said switch means being effective to close circuit to the heating means, the switch being operated by distension of the valve plates to a closed position.

3. Air modulating means comprising, a housing, a casing contained within the same, a partition dividing the 4 housing for a substantial portion of its depth into two passages located in side-by-side relation, a cross channel connecting the passages together at one end, the first of the passages having a pair of spaced air inlet openings in its side wall both of said inlet openings establishing communication between the said passage and the interior of the housing, a slidable damper for each of the inlet openings to thereby regulate the effective size of the same, a pair of spaced brackets mounted in the first passages between the inlet openings, a valve comprising a pair of cooperating bowed plates extending between the brackets and pneumatically distensible to partly or completely close the first passage between the openings therein, but allowing an air flow through one of the inlet openings and through the cross channel to reach the second passage and flow therethrough regardless of the position of the valve, and an air outlet leading from the second passage.

4. Air modulating means according to claim 3, wherein heating means is located in the cross channel, and a controlling switch for said heating means is located in the second passage, said switch having a part projecting into the first passage and in a position to close the switch when said part is contacted by a part of the valve in its closing movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES. PATENTS 2,091,562 8/1937 Palmer 2I 2,787,946 4/1957 Gannon 9838 3,011,518 12/1961 Day et a1. 137-601 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner. 

1. AIR MODULATING MEANS COMPRISING, A HOUSING INTO WHICH AN AIR FLOW IS DIRECTED, A CASING LOCATED WITHIN THE HOUSING, THE CASING BEING DIVIDED INTO TWO PASSAGES, THE FIRST PASSAGE HAVING SPACED INLET OPENINGS WHICH DIRECTLY AND INDEPENDENTLY ESTABLISHES COMMUNICATION BETWEEN IT AND THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSING, A VALVE IN SAID PASSAGE BETWEEN SAID OPENINGS, SAID VALVE CONSISTING OF DISTENSIBLE PLATES OPERATIVE BY SPREADING APART TO CONTROL AIR FLOW IN THE PASSAGE BETWEEN THE INLET OPENINGS OR TO COMPLETELY CLOSE SAID PASSAGE BETWEEN AND OPENINGS WHILE BLOCKING THE INFLOW FROM ONLY ONE OF THE INLET OPENINGS, ADJUSTABLE DAMPERS FOR REGULATING THE EFFECTIVE SIZE OF THE INLET OPENINGS, THE SECOND PASSAGE BEING IN COMMUNICATION AT ONE END WITH THE FIRST PASSAGE, AND THE SECOND PASSAGE BEING PROVIDED AT ITS OPPOSITE END WITH AN AIR OUTLET. 